Tomatosphere - To Mars and Beyond: An educational outreach project for primary and secondary schools
- Paper number
IAC-06-E1.3.03
- Author
Mr. Robert Morrrow, Tomatosphere, Canada
- Coauthor
Dr. Mike Dixon, University of Guelph, Canada
- Coauthor
Dr. Robert Thirsk, United States
- Coauthor
Mrs. Marilyn Steinberg, Canadian Space Agency, Canada
- Year
2006
- Abstract
The concept of Tomatosphere originated in 1999. Phase one saw 200 000 tomato seeds go into space on November 30, 2000, with Canadian astronaut, Dr. Marc Garneau on STS 97. The seeds were part of a Canada wide experiment for school age children in grades 3 - 6 designed to test the effects of short- term space travel on seed germination. In 2002, the scope of the project expanded to include students in grades 8 – 10. This allows for the inclusion of several objectives related to the science curriculum, including: the International Space Station (ISS), the overall concept of humans in space, and the application of knowledge from space programs to the well-being of humankind on Earth. In 2003, each classroom received three sets of seeds; (a) control group; (b) exposure to a simulated Mars environment; and (c) exposure to a simulated Mars greenhouse environment (reduced atmospheric pressure). The results of this “blind test” submitted by teachers indicated little difference in the germination rates of the three groups of seeds. The next phase scheduled for March 2004 involved an extension of the treatment duration. Also, in 2004, 400 000 tomato seeds were taken to the ISS on a Russian Progress flight. These seeds received the “full treatment” in terms of the environmental conditions in space, reduced gravity and cosmic radiation. While these seeds were in space for 19 months, another group of seeds were used for the experiment - seeds that hibernated at the Arthur C. Clarke Mars Greenhouse on Devon Island in the Canadian High Arctic. In 2005, students dealt with these seeds and those that had been exposed to a simulated space environment, reflecting a replicated breach in the storage system of a vehicle en route to Mars. For the first time, results indicated statistically significant differences among the seed treatments. In 2006, more than 7000 classrooms received the seeds from the ISS (returned to Earth on board Discovery in August, 2005), and a control group. The results of this phase of the project will be available in the late summer of 2006. Changes in germination rates will provide data regarding the availability of an adequate – and required – food supply for future astronauts on a Mars transit journey. This program brings critical questions about the fate of plant seeds in space for extended periods into Canadian and US classrooms and provides students and researchers alike with valuable information relevant to studying the role of plants in space for life support.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-06-E1.3.03.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.